Oregon Hill

Oregon Hill is a historic working-class neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. William Byrd III established a rural estate on the hill in 1758, and fire destroyed the house and gardens a century later, leading to the neighborhood transitioning from an agricultural one to an industrial one. The construction of the James River and Kanawha Canal in 1785 brought workers to the area, and the hill was nicknamed "Oregon Hill" for its status as a desireable destination for workers. Most of the buildings were built during Reconstruction, and the neighborhood saw a large influx of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe during the 1940s. Due to its proximity to Virginia Commonwealth University, it became a student quarter.